Sonnen's antics - for his opponent or for himself?

[markg171]

I think Sonnen will give Jones a fight in that he's not going to be mesmerized by Jones like others have been. He will attack Jones because he has to. I personally feel like Sonnen is one of the few fighters who knows he talks a lot of shit, but more importantly he's terrified of not backing up all his talk. He knows his opponent is coming to take his head off based on what he's said about them, so he trains his ass off and comes to give his opponent a fight because he knows they're not going to hold anything back against him. Don't know if anybody else feels this way, but I think his trash talking and antics are more to get himself in the right state of mind to perform. Some people fold under the pressure of the hype they've built up around themselves but I feel that Sonnen needs it to push him.

It reminds me of what GSP said leading up to the Condit fight. GSP said he's terrified and is always scared before a fight, but he's going to make his walk to the octagon because he uses the pressure to prepare and he knows he's done everything possible to prepare himself to win. I feel Sonnen has to put the fear of God into himself to make sure he does everything possible to prepare, but that's just me. The results speak for themselves; you can't deny he comes to fight and has shown an increased drive to perform lately since he adopted his persona

EDIT: Obviously Chael does all his antics to receive more money and attention; I just feel it also helps him prepare as he knows he's now got to back up everything he's said. He's one of the few fighters who doesn't freeze during a fight after he's talked shit and I feel it's because he uses it to motivate him, similar to how his opponents use his trash talk to motivate themselves

 

[ocfightfan]

Chael's talk is for $$$.

 

[Fists of Fire]

Chael is getting paid and thats all that matters

 

[UAK]

for paycheck, period.

 

[wlu29]

i don't begrudge for getting his money

i just don't find him funny

 

[GoodOleWrasslin]

Im not even a Chael fan, im indifferent but i think its funny how bent out of shape people get over his trash talk. He might be the best talker in combat sports since Ali.

I think he just uses it to sell fights.

 

[xelad1]

Chael wasn't much of a talker for the majority of his career, your theory doesn't hold water.

Chael fights the way he does because it's his style not because he's afraid of backing it up. It should be pretty obvious that he does what he does to sell fights. Most of his material is based on WWE monologues.

 

[milkywaygalxee**]

Im not even a Chael fan, im indifferent but i think its funny how bent out of shape people get over his trash talk. He might be the best talker in combat sports since Ali.

I think he just uses it to sell fights.

Comparing Sonnen to Ali is an insult. Ali actually WAS witty and intelligent with his banter. He was also charming in spite of some of his faults. I see none of that with Sonnen. I'm not a 'hater.' I just think he's one dimensional. I also think disrespecting another man's wife for the sake of a 'paycheck' is a little more than trolling, it's disgusting. I think the real trolling job he does is on the people he fooled into thinking he has any real substance.

 

[GoodOleWrasslin]

Comparing Sonnen to Ali is an insult. Ali actually WAS witty and intelligent with his banter. He was also charming in spite of some of his faults. I see none of that with Sonnen. I'm not a 'hater.' I just think he's one dimensional. I also think disrespecting another man's wife for the sake of a 'paycheck' is a little more than trolling, it's disgusting. I think the real trolling job he does is on the people he fooled into thinking he has any real substance.

You need to listen to more of Ali's trash talking. Now remember, we are talking about talking shit, im not comparing what Sonnen says to what Ali said about Vietnam or race relations in America. Im purely talking about how Ali would call his opponents ugly, dumb, slow etc.

Its not an insult to compare the two in terms of their trash talking ability, im probably on of the biggest Ali fans you will ever meet, and i am of the opinion that he at his peak, was probably the greatest athlete of all time, let alone boxer. Sonnen has gold in his mouth though and he knows it, look at the situation he talk effectively talked himself into.

 

[diazisawesome**]

Money

 

[PolishHeadlock]

Easiest fight Jones has ever had.

 

[milkywaygalxee**]

You need to listen to more of Ali's trash talking. Now remember, we are talking about talking shit, im not comparing what Sonnen says to what Ali said about Vietnam or race relations in America. Im purely talking about how Ali would call his opponents ugly, dumb, slow etc.

Its not an insult to compare the two in terms of their trash talking ability, im probably on of the biggest Ali fans you will ever meet, and i am of the opinion that he at his peak, was probably the greatest athlete of all time, let alone boxer. Sonnen has gold in his mouth though and he knows it, look at the situation he talk effectively talked himself into.

You defend your arguments well, i'll give you that. In my opiniion, I don't think he is intelligent or witty. he sounds like someone who spent time watching wrestling clips. Proof to me is his inability to be really spontaneous and unscripted. He's a phony. We just have different opinions. Also what really matters to me is the fight. Silva and Jones are so far above this man's level that he has to cheat to get anywhere near them. He will be remembered for running his mouth in a sport about the fighting arts. Not a good look, imo.

 

[markg171]

Chael wasn't much of a talker for the majority of his career, your theory doesn't hold water.

Chael fights the way he does because it's his style not because he's afraid of backing it up. It should be pretty obvious that he does what he does to sell fights. Most of his material is based on WWE monologues.

How so? From watching his past fights to his more recent fights, I find he shows far more heart and determination than he used to. And obviously he talks trash for the money; that part's indisputable. I just find he's definitely a more motivated fighter when he talks trash

 

[doomdog]

It's all about the money, it's all about the dumdumdududumdum.

 

[GoodOleWrasslin]

You defend your arguments well, i'll give you that. In my opiniion, I don't think he is intelligent or witty. he sounds like someone who spent time watching wrestling clips. Proof to me is his inability to be really spontaneous and unscripted. He's a phony. We just have different opinions. Also what really matters to me is the fight. Silva and Jones are so far above this man's level that he has to cheat to get anywhere near them. He will be remembered for running his mouth in a sport about the fighting arts. Not a good look, imo.

True, Ali certainly did a better job of backing up what he said. He made fighters look stupid in and out of the ring and Chael has done a better job out of the ring than he has in. That said, on outside the ring trash talking, Chael is still one of the best to me, he gets a little gimmicky but lines like "Im sore, tired, under the weather, overtrained and under motivated and still tough enough to beat this guy" are classics to me. And again, im not even a huge fan of the guy, rooted for Anderson both times (because i think Anderson will go down as the Ali of in cage ability ironically for this discussion).

 

[StoneWT]

Comparing Sonnen to Ali is an insult. Ali actually WAS witty and intelligent with his banter. He was also charming in spite of some of his faults. I see none of that with Sonnen. I'm not a 'hater.' I just think he's one dimensional. I also think disrespecting another man's wife for the sake of a 'paycheck' is a little more than trolling, it's disgusting. I think the real trolling job he does is on the people he fooled into thinking he has any real substance.

You defend your arguments well, i'll give you that. In my opiniion, I don't think he is intelligent or witty. he sounds like someone who spent time watching wrestling clips. Proof to me is his inability to be really spontaneous and unscripted. He's a phony. We just have different opinions. Also what really matters to me is the fight. Silva and Jones are so far above this man's level that he has to cheat to get anywhere near them. He will be remembered for running his mouth in a sport about the fighting arts. Not a good look, imo.

Ali was witty, intelligent, and charming? Like when he falsely accused the real life 'Rocky' of calling him the 'N' word? That was closer to disgusting than anything from Chael Sonnen.

You are going off of an imaginary Ali you've built up in your mind. Ali is a lowbrow huckster compared to the master, Chael Sonnen. Ali had some rhymes and generic, ghetto insults. Chael spins gold. His fans love it and chumps like you can't handle it.

 

[fight4ippon]

$$$

 

[Mikeyz]

I think Sonnen will give Jones a fight in that he's not going to be mesmerized by Jones like others have been. He will attack Jones because he has to. I personally feel like Sonnen is one of the few fighters who knows he talks a lot of shit, but more importantly he's terrified of not backing up all his talk. He knows his opponent is coming to take his head off based on what he's said about them, so he trains his ass off and comes to give his opponent a fight because he knows they're not going to hold anything back against him. Don't know if anybody else feels this way, but I think his trash talking and antics are more to get himself in the right state of mind to perform. Some people fold under the pressure of the hype they've built up around themselves but I feel that Sonnen needs it to push him.

It reminds me of what GSP said leading up to the Condit fight. GSP said he's terrified and is always scared before a fight, but he's going to make his walk to the octagon because he uses the pressure to prepare and he knows he's done everything possible to prepare himself to win. I feel Sonnen has to put the fear of God into himself to make sure he does everything possible to prepare, but that's just me. The results speak for themselves; you can't deny he comes to fight and has shown an increased drive to perform lately since he adopted his persona

EDIT: Obviously Chael does all his antics to receive more money and attention; I just feel it also helps him prepare as he knows he's now got to back up everything he's said. He's one of the few fighters who doesn't freeze during a fight after he's talked shit and I feel it's because he uses it to motivate him, similar to how his opponents use his trash talk to motivate themselves

I heard this when he fought Silva and what happened in that fight?

 

[Mikeyz]

Easiest fight Jones has ever had.

I don't know about that

 

[PolishHeadlock]

I don't know about that

I do and I'm a blackbelt